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Active Clustering, Fluctuations and Stresses in Living Cells

Mathematical Biology

Speaker: Madan Rao, Raman Research Institute/National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bangalore, Ind
Location: 432 Physics
Start time: Tue, Mar 9 2010, 2:00PM

The material of the living cell is subject to active stresses arising from a cytoskeletal meshwork which is driven out of equilibrium by the action of motors and polymerization/depolymerization. I will describe the coarse grained dynamics of this system, and its implications in two cellular contexts : (i) Cortical actin dependent clustering of molecules on the cell surface and its consequences to sorting and signaling, (ii) Buckling and stiffening of a filament in an active contractile medium.

Joint with Physics seminar.